Sports leaders open books for laughter and enlightenment

“What books are
you taking with you
(to the beach or on
vacation) this summer,
and why are you
looking forward to
reading them?”

Roger GoodellCommissionerNFL

The Best Game Ever, by Mark Bowden. “About the 1958 NFL championship game.”

Len KomoroskiPresidentCleveland Cavaliers

Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL, by Dan Rooney, Andrew E. Masich, and David
F. Halaas. “As a
native of Pittsburgh and a lifelong Steelers fan, I’m looking forward to his
unique perspective, especially coming from the rare position of one family
owning a franchise since its inception. I think I’ll have a Primanti’s
Cheesesteak while reading it.”

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow. “I’ve heard great things about Randy’s insights
and perspective on life, coming from someone who is diagnosed with terminal
cancer. Randy speaks of living life to its fullest.”

Sheila JohnsonPresident and Managing PartnerWashington Mystics

The Whole Truth, by David Baldacci. “I am a Baldacci nut, and this one is billed as his first global
thriller, so I can’t wait.”

The Poet, by Michael Connelly. “A friend of mine thinks Connelly is the best crime writer going
and has told me to read this one. This summer I’m going to finally get around
to it.”

Heaven’s Prisoners, by James Lee Burke. “Part mystery writer/part poet, Burke not only keeps you turning
pages, he makes New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou come alive.”

Good in Bed, by Jennifer Weiner. “The central character is a funny, talented yet overweight woman
(which the author implies is the last accepted prejudice, especially in
Hollywood).”

God Grew Tired of Us, by John Bul Dau. “I saw John speak in person last fall and he inspired me to read
more about the Lost Boys of Sudan. For any of us who complain about the daily
grind, his story puts life in proper perspective.”

A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn, by James Donovan. “I went to college in Montana and have been to
the battlefield on a couple of occasions. It’s a fascinating story that
apparently can be told in a multitude of ways.”

Bill StricklandExecutive EditorBicycling magazine and co-author with Johan Bruyneel
of “We Might As Well Win”

Major: A Black Athlete, a White Era, and the Fight to Be the
World’s Fastest Human Being, by Todd Balf

The Vanishing, by Tim Krabbe

My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing
Icon, by Bart Yasso with
Kathleen Parrish

Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World, by Dan Koeppel

That Little Something, by Charles Simic

Robbie WeissVice President of BroadcastingNASCAR Media Group Managing Director, International NASCAR

Mr. China, by Tim Clissold. “If you do business, or aspire to do business, in the great new
frontier (or at least need a good laugh), Tim Clissold will take you on a very
sobering yet comical adventure. Bring tissues. You’ll need them for the tears.”

Alexi LalasPresident and General ManagerLos Angeles Galaxy

Up From the Root Cellar, by Anne Harding Woodworth. “Quite simply, she’s one of the greatest living American poets.”

Reckless Road: Guns N’ Roses and the Making of Appetite for
Destruction, by
Marc Canter and Jason Porath. “Like everyone, when I think of a family vacation, I think of G n’
R.”

The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables, by Don Daily. “Good lessons that apply to business and life …
for me and my daughter.”

Bill CarterPartnerFuse

Punk Rock Dad, by Jim Lindberg. “Learning to have grace in a life spent partly in youth culture and
partly in the adult, business world is a real virtue as you grow older.”

Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, by Antonin Scalia and Bryan A. Garner. “I am trying to be more understanding of
far-right conservatives … even if right now I think they are all lunatics who
are bludgeoning our Constitution.”

Ryan Seacrest Is Famous, by Dave Housley. “He is a funnier, smarter version of David Sedaris and Augusten
Burroughs.”

Steve BisciottiOwnerBaltimore Ravens

Dare to Prepare: How to Win Before You Begin, by Ronald M. Shapiro with Gregory Jordan

The Man Who Loved China, by Simon Winchester. “In a year in which China has taken center stage with the
devastating earthquake and the upcoming Olympics, this book provides an
insightful look into a very misunderstood society.”

Uncommon Carriers, by John McPhee. “Perhaps my favorite author. The take-away from this book is the
complete dependence of our national and international transportation
infrastructure on fossil fuels and the challenges that this nation will face
with rising fuel prices.”

American Son, by Oscar De La Hoya. “One-time gold medalist for the U.S. at the 1992 Olympics and
10-time world boxing champion, De La Hoya is also one of the owners of the
Dynamo, and reading his autobiography will be a very enjoyable way to better
understand his incredible path from East L.A. to the top of his profession.”

“I love to read while on
vacation, to learn and transport my mind to new places. The Kite Runner was published in the aftermath of America’s
invasion of Afghanistan. The author [Khaled Hosseini]released a subsequent novel about two resilient women there, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is supposed to present an even greater
epic of tragedy and hope. I want to read them both to know more about the
country, Islam, the Taliban and how ordinary people, especially women, live
their lives there.”

This is the first installment
in a series on what top sports
executives are reading this
summer. The responses were
compiled by New York bureau
chief Jerry Kavanagh.